Looking back: London Ontario campus cool weather

Around the year 2000 I was at University of Western Ontario and often painted the campus. Here is a scene of the small observatory that would have been used to look at starts back in the day. Not sure if it was still functional at the time. 

Observatory, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press

These smoke stacks were part of the campus power plant, the stadium field is seen in the foreground. This one was done some time before the winter if memory serves. It was one of my favorite paintings at the time. 

Smoke stacks stadium, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press

I can tell the sun was going down from looking at the painting, judging by the amber glow, and yellow-orange tree tops. There was still snow on the ground. I was not shy about painting in the winter, some of my first location paintings ever were in the middle the cold winter of 1995. This one was probably around 2002. 

Middlesex college sundown winter, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press

I seem to remember this being one of the last winters I spent there, it is more ambitious than some of the earlier paintings, even containing small figures. When I started location painting, I would select scenes that I knew I could paint. Over the years, I took more chances, challenges, and slowly learned new techniques from trial and error. 

Middlesex college birch tree, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press

Between the canal and aqueduct

Cote st Paul is a small neighborhood between the canal and aqueduct, bordered by auto route 15 and Monk Blvd. As I rode my bike around, there were some neat buildings here and there, including this dépanneur. You can see how well these small convenience stores are integrated with the housing. 

New CL dépanneur, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026

This gas station is at the corner of Woodland and Vérendrye Blvd, you see all the cars on Vérendrye which runs along side of the aqueduct. It was a nice place to stand, despite the din of the cars, there was a warm sun out today. 

Gas station traffic, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026

Lastly for the day, I did another dépanneur painting, this one of Raymond dépanneur, which is painted with a blue-cyan colour. Too bad the paper is so small, but I've run out of larger pieces for now. Its almost time to buy a new stack of paper at the shop. 

Raymond dépanneur, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026 

Sundown on Cabot street

After painting at the Zen Factory location, I rode around the neighborhood a bit, its an odd mix of old single family houses, a few duplexes, in and amongst light industrial warehousing, auto shops, and equipment depots. This scene looks due northwest along Cabot street, the auto route 15 is just to my left, and you can see one of the bridge structures on the horizon. That building on the right has the "SCAN" mural on it, a tribute to a late graffiti writer of Montreal, I have painted that a few times before. 

Sundown on Cabot street, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026

Here is a pickup truck with a trailer and a long shadow, parked on Cabot street. It was one of those 'challenger scenes' which meant I had to try it. The main issue is getting the drawing and perspective correct, and judging the final values. I started with the triangular sidewalk shape on the right, then lined up the vehicle's angle and perspective with a faint paint outline. Then I filled in colour blocks making sure to leave the highlight areas blank paper. There is no white paint in watercolour so you have to leave paper showing. 

Pickup truck trailer long shadow, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026

This auto shop specializes in large vehicles such as ambulances. In the background, there were some impressive trees, although one was clearly dead, seen on the left. To paint the big green tree I applied the sky first using a blue, green, orange fade (PB15, PG7, PO62), then while moist, I applied the tree colour using bismuth vanadate yellow (PY184) tinted with orange (PO62), dark green (PBk31) and black (PBk6) with brown overlay for branches (PY43 + PR102). It was quite fun to see the tree shape emerge from the sky in real time as I painted. 

Ambulance auto shop, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026

In the background you see a teal warehouse with PJD graffiti on top, part of auto route 10, and a huge pile of dirt in the foreground being illuminated by the setting sun. The main trick with this one was to get the blueish shadow correct in the foreground, it took a heavy mix of burnt yellow ochre (PR102), indo blue (PB60) and raw sienna (PBr7) over-painted with burnt umber (PBr7) and black textures. It can dry exceedingly pale, so I had to paint the shadow about 1.5 values darker than needed so it could dry this way. 

Warehouse pile of dirt highway, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026 

Zen factory growth and graffiti

I've always enjoyed painting down at the so-called Zen Factory, its actually an old business that shut down ten years ago, and has since been degrading steadily and plastered with graffiti. This scene shows part of the front facade, with large trees growing, and my initials in pink graffiti letters. 

Zen factory growth magenta PJD, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026

Same spot, looking due north towards st Patrick street and the Lachine canal in the background. I keyed in on this pile of old asphalt and concrete with wild plants growing all around. It is a textural and organic location to paint. 

Pile of asphalt and concrete, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026

Last scene from this location, just to the left of the pile of asphalt, you see some concrete dividers that sit next to the adjacent sidewalk, and a concrete cube. I applied a series of interlocking washes first, and then over-painted a variety of textural effect to create the wild growth, keeping the colours in the orange-tint, brown, yellow, chartreuse and olive range.  

Teal PJD concrete blocks, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026

 

Looking back, Tadoussac Sauguenay river

Here is an old painting I did in Tadoussac, looking due north up the Saguenay river. Cold wind was blasting down the river valley, it was October. From this vantage point, looking south, there were whales jumping out of the water. They feed at the mouth of the Saguenay because the warm water mixes with the st Lawrence here, creating conditions for food to grow. I have always wanted to return here to do paintings, its a very rugged landscape.  

Tadoussac Sauguenay river, watercolour 8 x 10" cold press, 2008

 

Sunset Coffee street, Night lights Girouard

I was standing there with my bike thinking where should I go? Here on Coffee street one can turn south east along the Maisonneuve bike path towards downtown, or go across to the st Jacques connector with the Lachine canal, or continue through NDG to ville st Pierre toward the canal and Lachine. Or turn right and go home! Then I figured, just make a painting right here, of the sunset on Coffee street. 

Sunset Coffee street, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026

This scene is about where Girouard merges with Decarie underground, in the background you see the radio tower with red lights, the bike shop with yellow street lights, and some red glow from the underground road in the foreground. Cars were driving by on Maisonneuve. 

Night lights Girouard, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026 

Sailboat river scene

The last painting from my trip to Dorval on the weekend, here is a scene of a sailboat on the river. I was standing in the Pine Beach park looking due west, with sun glaring on the river. I used side-drag technique to apply the shimmer, then filled in with a variety of textural techniques. To get the sailboat right, I made the triangle shape first, then painted the scene around it. After painting a bunch of chaotic scenes at the airport it was somewhat refreshing to do this painting. My parents actually taught me how to sail and I took lessons as a teen, so maybe one day I can sail again. For now, I'll settle for making a painting!

Sailboat river scene, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2026